Hero Therapy
by SilentJo
Summary: Born without a Quirk, Midoriya finds that as a Hero Therapist, he can help those who save lives deal with their own trauma. When he's assigned to find out why a promising young hero-in-training has suddenly become mute and withdrawn, Midoriya does all he can to get to the root of the boy's problems. But just how far will he go to save him?
1. Chapter 1

Midoriya smiled as he stepped away from the wall and admired his handiwork. The frame tilted slightly to the right, but after fidgeting with it for more than ten minutes, he decided it wasn't going to be perfectly level and left it alone. But there it was, his degree in Hero Psychology, on display in his office, surrounded by smaller award plaques and certificates he'd acquired while attending school. At twenty-two years old, he'd spent a lot of time working towards this goal, and he wanted to enjoy this feeling of accomplishment for as long as he could.

"Midoriya, your first appointment is here, should I send them in?" The secretary for their department buzzed in on the intercom.

Walking back to his desk, he pushed the button to reply. "Yes, thank you, Miss Yonagishi." His stomach was a riot of butterflies and twists. This wasn't his first time working with a patient, but it was his first case working directly with a hero, or hero family, as it were, since graduating and being hired by this office. He'd taken a quick look through the case file earlier and it seemed to be a simple situation on paper. Taking a deep breath, he waited until he heard the soft knock on the door, then stepped forward to open it.

The silver-haired woman at the door blushed slightly as she made her introduction, "Hello, Doctor Midoriya. My name is Rei Todoroki;your office has assigned our case to you regarding my son, Shoto." Appearing as his name was spoken, the young man stepped out from behind his mother, though he only stared at the ground. Midoriya felt his heart squeeze within his chest. He'd seen a lot of heart-breaking situations during his internships, and knew that to make it in this field, he had to keep his own feelings and emotions out of the equation to maintain a professional manner with his clients.

But the sight of this child struck him the same as if he'd been kicked in the gut. The boy's appearance was unique; a perfect vertical split between soft white hair he'd obviously inherited from his mother on his right side, and a vibrant crimson red that must have been passed onto him from his father's side on the left. His left eye was tightly wrapped in bandages, and several spots on his arms and legs had similar dressings.

Crouching down to bring himself to the same eye level, Midoriya spoke to the boy. "Hello there, Shoto. My name is Midoriya, it's nice to meet you today." There was no reaction whatsoever.

"He doesn't speak anymore, Doctor. Shoto has just been so withdrawn lately. His grades and training at UA High have been consistently above average, but he's fallen behind his classmates in regard to social situations and training. The school suggested he talk to someone, so here we are." Midoriya observed her as she spoke. She did seem concerned for her son, which was a good thing in this case, since Midoriya could possibly rule out that Shoto's problem didn't stem from his mother.

"When did this behavior start?"

The woman nervously twisted the hem of her blouse in her hands, "I-I'm not sure. I spend a lot of time out of the house on business trips, so my husband Enji is the one that watches over him and his siblings. Although his hero work keeps him busy as well. Our children are capable of caring for themselves if need be, though."

Midoriya was familiar with her husband, the number two ranked hero Endeavor. His track record was impressive, but many fans and heroes alike have said his attitude was always cold and arrogant. Midoriya wondered if Shoto's behavior was a reflection of that.

"I see. Well, in cases like these, it's necessary to build a foundation of trust before trying to get to the root of the problem. I'd like to work with Shoto one-on-one for the next few sessions to attempt to establish that trust. It would be difficult for him to do so with someone he already has that bond with nearby."

Rei nodded, "I understand, I'll leave you to it then, and thank you Doctor. I wanted to bring him sooner, but Enji was… hesitant. He feared his reputation would suffer if word got out that his son was seeing a therapist. Once it was made necessary, he relented."

Midoriya didn't like the sound of that. More often than not, sudden personality changes come from the child's home life. The father just became his main suspect in this case. "Either way, I'm glad that he's here now. I look forward to working with your family, Mrs. Todoroki," Midoriya said as he offered out his hand. She timidly met it and gave a weak squeeze in return. Her sleeve slid up slightly as she did so, giving Midoriya a peek of her wrist and inner arm.

Finger-shaped bruises lined her skin, and Midoriya's suspicion was confirmed. The weather was warm, so her choice of long-sleeved clothing was questionable, but it was obvious to him why after seeing the markings. Abuse cases had always been the hardest for him to work on, and he felt that this one would be no different.

She gave a genuine attempt at a smile, then patted her son on the head. "Shoto, I'll be back shortly. Until I return, please listen to Doctor Midoriya. He's here to help you, okay? Please give him a chance to do that, for me?" Leaving a gentle kiss on his forehead, she closed the door behind her as she left.

"Why don't we have a seat, Shoto? Please make yourself comfortable anywhere." Deku gestured with an outstretched arm toward the couch and chairs. The boy's sights never left the ground as he slowly walked to the nearest chair and sat down. Midoriya took the seat directly across from him, grabbing his notepad and pen to write down his observations.

"I saw in your file that you're attending UA High as a First Year Hero Course student. I went to UA as well, but it was in the General Studies curriculum. I always enjoyed watching the hero students. So many interesting abilities and personas. If I had been born with a Quirk, it would have been interesting to see what I would have done with it."

Eye contact. Shoto met Midoriya's eyes for the first time after mentioning that he was Quirkless. Midoriya quickly jotted that down, intending to focus on that subject as their discussion went on. Perhaps the boy had some kind of complex about his Quirk.

"The UA Sports Festival is my favorite event every year. It should be coming up soon, right? It will be your first year participating, you must be very excited."

Darting his eyes away, Shoto found a spot on the patterned carpet and focused on that for the rest of the session. So that was another subject to touch on in future sessions. Midoriya didn't want to push him too hard for this first meeting. Giving the youth a small sample of his life was the best way to establish a trusting environment. It was true that he enjoyed the Sports Festivals and all, but his time at UA wasn't as cheerful as he made it out to be. Not everyone was welcoming to a Quirkless person. But he didn't want to scare Shoto further into his defensive shell, and there was no need to expose that much of himself anyway.

"Fire and Ice. That's a remarkable Quirk, Shoto. I think we can expect a lot of great accomplishments from you in the future."

Shoto's lone eye narrowed, finding Midoriya's gaze once again. He tapped his shoe against the floor, and from it sprang a wave of icy spears running towards Midoriya, moving so quickly that they had gone beneath Midoriya's chair and shoved it sideways, dumping Midoriya to the floor before he could think to move out of its way.

The boy stood up and walked over to Midoriya, stunned at being deposited to the floor in such a fashion. Wide-eyed and watching Shoto carefully, Midoriya smiled.

"See? That was amazing!"

Shoto's brow wrinkled in a display of mixed confusion. He had expected anger, fear, some other reaction than this. Shaking his head, he walked toward the door. But before he left, Shoto turned to the doctor once more.

"You're a very strange person, Midoriya." And with that, he left the room.

* * *

**AN- Thanks for checking out my latest story! Just a head's up, this story's rating may change to M in the future. Also there will be mention and/or depictions of abuse and violence toward children. Since FFnet doesn't do tags or trigger warnings I wanted to make it known now so any readers that are sensitive to that content can be notified. I hope you enjoy reading this, see you again soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Midoriya finally saw a breakthrough in his fourth session with Shoto. In their previous meetings, Midoriya had done all the talking. He shared more of his life at UA, since that had elicited a response from the boy when they first met. He showed interest in Midoriya's status as a person with no Quirk, and it was understandable. It wasn't often that you'd find someone without some kind of ability. Shoto's vacant expression would change when he talked about his General Studies curriculum and how different it had varied from the Hero Course. There were moments when Midoriya detected signs of envy from the young man. And during their fourth meeting, he confirmed that feeling.

"Our classes sometimes mixed, it was interesting to see what the Hero Course studied. Although I imagine they weren't very impressed with the lessons we had. There was little excitement for math when they were used to working with real pros and learning how to use their Quirks to protect everyone."

Shoto muttered, low but still enough to catch Midoriya's ear, "I doubt that."

"S-Sorry, what was that, Shoto?" He had heard the boy just fine, but he didn't want that to be the end of his participation in the conversation.

"I said I doubt that it was boring. It's not as exciting in the Hero Course as you make it out to be. It's all just a hassle."

Excitement built within Midoriya as he finally felt like he was getting somewhere with his patient. "What makes you say that? Don't you like having the chance to use your Quirk to be a hero?"

Silence fell between them again, although Shoto was shifting in his seat now. He was struggling with whether he wanted to answer him or not.

"That's what I wanted at first. But, now I'm not so sure…"

Midoriya didn't respond; instead he leaned forward in his seat, his arms resting against his upper thighs, his posture showing his willingness to listen rather than talk. When Shoto still held back, Midoriya pressed him just a little further.

"I imagine there's a lot of pressure on you to meet the expectations your teachers and parents have for you."

Shoto flinched. Though not until he mentioned his parents. His previous suspicions about the boy's father increased with this reaction.

"Shoto, do you feel like your family is pushing you to be a hero? Is it something you really want to do? Your mother seemed to be—"

"You leave my mom out of this; she didn't do anything wrong!" Shoto suddenly yelled, his face displaying anger and fear. Catching himself before he continued the outburst, he took a deep breath and let it out slow.

"I wasn't going to say anything bad about her, Shoto. She is genuinely concerned for you. I haven't had the chance to meet your father yet, but perhaps that could be something we can arrange."

"Don't. Just shut up about him. He's got nothing to do with this." Shoto's body language screamed to Midoriya that his father had everything to do with it. Crossing his arms over his chest, darting his eyes in any direction that avoided his own, he was insecure when it came to the topic of his father.

"Is he the reason why you won't use your left side? You've nearly mastered your ice abilities, but it's rare that anyone sees you use your fire."

"We're done."

The boy had said those words before. At least once with each session. But he never made a move to leave.

"You're always free to go whenever you feel the need. But knowing that, you always stay until our time is up. The school tells me that you've been spending extra time after classes working out and preparing for the Sports Festival. Is there some reason why you don't want to get home early?"

Shoto's rage emerged again as he leapt from his chair and rushed straight to Midoriya, shoving him against the back of his chair and gripping the collar of his shirt, their faces only inches apart.

"So what if I don't want to go back home? What does it matter if I waste my time or avoid using my fire? You'd never understand, so why should you be the one to ask me!" Shoto's chest heaved as he struggled to hold in his feelings. Overflowing now, they spilled just like the tears coming from his eyes. Watching Shoto's facial expression twist with pain that he felt couldn't be shared unexpectedly hurt Midoriya.

After their second meeting, Shoto had shown up without the bandage covering part of his face. The scar that had been hidden behind it surrounded his left eye, a burn that happened years ago. It concerned Midoriya that he had felt it necessary to cover it during their initial meeting but felt that this reveal was Shoto's unspoken way of showing he felt comfortable around him. Midoriya didn't dare draw attention to it for fear he would come to his next visit with his defenses up and face wrapped again.

"That's just it, Shoto, I want to understand! I want to know why you feel the need to hold yourself back when you have so much potential! Do you really want to go to the Festival or into the field as a pro-hero using only half your strength?"

"Because whenever I use my fire all I see is my father, and it sickens me!" Shoto spat out, his voice cracking as his sobbing continued. "I don't want to follow in his footsteps, but everyone just keeps shoving me in his direction! Not using his damn Quirk should be enough to show everyone that isn't the path I want to walk. I can become a great hero without it!"

"But Shoto," Midoriya said as he slowly raised himself off the back of his chair, the boy shrinking away to maintain the narrow space between them. "That power is yours, not his. You don't have to be any more or less than what _you_ want to be."

"It's… mine?" Shoto replied in a dull whisper. He stumbled back to his chair, easing himself down.

"Yes, it's your Quirk, not his. You determine how to use it, not him." Midoriya straightened his tousled shirt and stood up. He didn't approach Shoto for fear he'd withdraw again. The yelling and tears were a sign that he was ready to trust in him enough to share more of his problems.

The buzz of the intercom cut through the room, startling them both.

"Doctor Midoriya, Shoto's mother is here to pick him up."

Frustrated that their time was over after making so much progress, Midoriya stalked over to the desk.

"Thank you, I'll send him out in a moment, our session is almost over." He grabbed the tissues from the desk and brought them over to Shoto, who flicked a couple out of the box before wiping away at the tears tracking down his cheeks. Midoriya didn't want to let him go. Not back to a place where the boy felt uneasy. But his hands were tied as a therapist, even though he wished he could take more action.

"You won't tell her, will you?" Shoto asked, fear resounding in his voice. Midoriya felt his heart jump in his chest, and suddenly he felt driven to do whatever he could to stop this boy from feeling so scared. Before he could stop himself, he put an arm around Shoto's shoulder, holding him in a loose hug. All his years of schooling had told him to avoid physical contact, but he didn't care. The boy shook against him, fearing Midoriya's answer to his question.

"Of course not. I'm not required to share anything that we talk about with anyone. That's your right as a patient and my responsibility as a doctor. I feel like we made some good progress today." Midoriya separated himself from the boy and walked him over to his door. "Our next meeting will be after the Festival. I look forward to hearing all about it when I see you. Good luck!"

The boy nodded, tossing the used tissues in the wastebasket situated near the door. For a moment, Midoriya saw a glint of something bright in his eyes. He hoped to see that same shine with his next visit.

"See you next week, Midoriya," Shoto said as he stepped out of the room.

Midoriya was glad that he had a short break before his next appointment. It would be difficult to work with his next patient if they could tell that he'd been crying.


	3. Chapter 3

Shoto missed his next meeting with Midoriya. His mother called in advance and said he was still recovering from the Festival. He had watched the entire event, cheering Shoto on from his living room. He used his ice side for the first two rounds, but once they got into the singles matches, Shoto picked up the pace, utilizing his left side to get the better of his opponents. His final match against the boy with the explosion Quirk was a spectacle in itself. Both young men put in great effort, but Shoto used a stunning combination of both abilities to subdue his opponent and win first place in the Sports Festival.

So he understood if Shoto was still feeling the effects of all that went on during the event. But when Shoto didn't show up for the following week, Midoriya grew concerned. He dialed the number listed in his file and waited to be connected.

"Hello?" answered a deep, gruff voice.

"Ahh, yes, is this the Todoroki household?"

"Who's asking? If you're selling something, we aren't interested."

"Oh, no I'm not trying to sell anything. This is Doctor Midoriya. Shoto has been my patient and hasn't been coming in for his sessions. I was just calling to check in with him and if necessary, to reschedule."

He heard a groan and impatient sigh before the man on the other end of the line answered. "So you're the doc I keep hearing about. He's fine and doesn't need any more 'sessions.'"

Midoriya didn't like the sound of this. It had to be his father, Endeavor. "Actually, it's noted in my file that he was required a minimum of eight sessions, and he's only made it to four. As a pro-hero yourself, I'm sure you're aware of how serious the mental health of heroes is taken by the government and licensing agencies."

"Yeah, yeah, I know how much of a pain in the ass they are about that shit." Another deep sigh carried over the line, and Midoriya grew more ill with each syllable this man uttered. "Fine, he'll be there tomorrow. My wife can make the rest of the appointments when she comes back from her latest trip."

"Very well, I look forward to seeing him. Would you like to make an appointment as well? I think it'd be helpful with his therapy for me to get a better understanding of his home life and parental interactions."

"Look, I'm sending him because otherwise they'd cause Shoto a lot of trouble once he's ready to get his provisional license. I have no interest in whether you fix whatever foolish notions are floating around in that boy's head or not. Don't bother me with such idiotic requests again. Good day."

Midoriya hung up and made a few notes involving Enji Todoroki's attitude during the phone call. He wondered if he should have insisted to speak with Shoto directly, just to make sure everything was alright. With the growing agitation that Enji exhibited over the phone, it was probably best to just leave it be and see how he's doing when he comes in tomorrow.

However, watching Shoto Todoroki limp into his office on a crutch made Midoriya regret ever thinking that leaving it alone was a good choice.

"Shoto, what happened to you?!" Midoriya squeaked as the boy hobbled over to his usual chair and carefully sat down. The gauze wound heavily at his knee, a fabric brace was pulled over that, keeping the joint tightly compressed.

"It's from the Festival. Don't worry about it, it's almost healed," Shoto said as he avoided Midoriya's worried eyes.

Knowing that it's ineffective to argue with a patient, Midoriya called his lie for what it was anyway. "There's no way your leg would still be that messed up after two weeks! And I know that Recovery Girl is available to treat wounds far worse than this all throughout the Festival. Please, Shoto, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

Shoto looked at Midoriya, "He was so damn happy that I finally used my fire. Said that now that I was over my childish little rebellion we could finally get to work on his goal to surpass All Might with my power. He wasn't so happy anymore when I told him exactly what I thought of his plans for my life. When things don't go his way, he… Well, he doesn't handle it well."

Midoriya was heartbroken. His suspicion of the father's abuse had been true. And now his inaction had hurt Shoto again. "I'm sorry, Shoto."

And at that, Shoto broke down and told Midoriya everything.

"He did this to my leg after I refused to train with him. I told him I had an appointment with you, and he laughed it off. When I walked away, he… He made it far more difficult for me to walk."

"It's my fault, then," Midoriya whispered as he swiped his palm over his forehead.

Shaking his head, Shoto spoke up. "No it isn't, Midoriya. I don't blame you for any of this. You're the one that got me to see that I'm the one in control of my own future, no one else. You freed me of so many burdens when you helped me understand that."

"Shoto… Even if that's true, his treatment of you and your family can't be ignored. I'm—"

"But you said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Todoroki yelped frantically. "It's not like anything will come of it if he does get exposed. It'll just get swept under the rug, like always. Do you think this is the first time he's laid his hands on me? My mother? As long as he's defeating villains and saving the day in the city, no one gives a shit about what he does when he's at home. That's why I didn't want to say anything. But I thought you'd be different, as someone that never had a Quirk, maybe you'd see things differently from everyone else."

Midoriya's office was a decent size, and yet he still felt like he was being pushed into a corner now. Shoto's desire to be silent was his own way of bringing attention to his family's dilemma. For someone so young to have to suffer through this kind of mental and physical abuse… God, how many times has he felt his father's wrath? Months? Years? The sheer thought of it sent ice water through Midoriya's veins.

"I see a child that's placed in a situation that no one should ever have to deal with. I want to help you, Shoto, but it's getting more difficult for me to figure out the best way to do so. I appreciate your trust, and I don't want to lose that. I'm legally obliged to disclose any suspicion of abuse, though I have a feeling if I do so, I'd lose your confidence in me and disappear within yourself again. I won't allow you to face this alone, Shoto, but there's only so much I can do in my position."

The young man nodded, "It helps just to be able to talk to another person. With you being born Quirkless, it felt like I could tell you about how my own Quirk put so much pressure on me. Since you've done so well for yourself without one, I felt more comfortable exposing that about myself. And I was right. You didn't push me to succeed my father like everyone else. Even before knowing about his nature, you wanted me to be the hero I wanted to be. I can endure anything he can throw at me, knowing I don't have to feel restrained by him anymore."

Shoto gingerly rose to his feet, situating his crutch under his arm before moving to the door.

"Shoto…," Midoriya said as he stood as well, his head tilted to the floor. "Just answer me this, please. How long has this been going on? How long have you had to hold all of this inside?"

Turning to face the one adult he trusted with everything, Shoto answered. "What good would it do for you to know? But if you're looking for a timeline, consider the fact that my oldest brother disappeared before I could even commit his face to memory. Touya was the first one exposed to our father's 'training' to surpass All Might. He had enough sense to escape while he could, though I heard he didn't leave unmarked." Shoto traced his fingertips along the edge of his facial scar as he spoke of his missing brother.

"Your scar…"

"I did it when I was five years old. I hated how much I looked like him back then. It was shortly after Touya left. Mother had been crying that morning, and as I walked into the kitchen, she looked at my left side and cringed. It hurt to feel that she couldn't love all of me. She left the kitchen in tears, the tea kettle she'd started to heat up forgotten. I'd tried burning away my red hair before, but that half of me was too resilient to flame. So I tried to destroy my father's image a different way. As the kettle whistled and spat hot flecks of water, I tipped it over onto my face. Mother had returned to the kitchen to deal with the tea pot and snatched it out of my hands before I could pour any more of it onto me. She immediately took me to the doctor, and ever since she's blamed herself for what I'd done to myself."

Midoriya was stunned to silence. He'd assumed the boy's old injury had been from his father or happened during training of his fire Quirk. Self-harm was the furthest from his mind. This situation was graver than he feared.

"I didn't tell you that for you to pity me, Midoriya. But you're the third person to know how I got my scar. My mother had to take the blame and say it was a careless accident. How could she say that her son had purposely harmed himself? I was young and stupid back then; I didn't think of the consequences of my actions. I didn't consider how she'd only feel more hurt seeing me now. She didn't deserve the shame and ridicule people put her through. My father was the worst of them, insulting her and calling her unfit for allowing me to hurt myself and interrupt my training. She found a job that required her to travel a lot after that. It's a relief that she doesn't have to face him nearly as much anymore, but… I miss her."

"From the first time you were here, I could tell you two were close. She's a good person, undeserving of any criticism for her actions as a parent. She cares enough to want to see you get the help you need. Telling me all this isn't easy, and I'm glad you're feeling comfortable enough to share with me. I wish our sessions could go longer, but I'll see you again soon, Shoto. Please be careful, I don't want to see you hurt again." Without thinking, Midoriya patted the young man on the head, lightly running his palm down and feeling how soft his hair was beneath his fingers.

The boy, shocked at the sudden contact, ducked away, his face blushed, "Yeah, I'll take better care of myself. See you soon, Midoriya."

He opened the door and watched Shoto walk away slowly. After the door closed, Shoto touched where Midoriya's hand had just been, the faintest smile emerging on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Shoto occupied Midoriya's thoughts more as the weeks wore on. As a therapist, any suspicion of abuse was supposed to be reported. However, doing so would threaten the trust between him and his young patient. He'd come so far with getting the boy to unload his burdens to him, it'd be such a waste to let that go just to follow procedure. Especially when he knew that Shoto would just withdraw again.

His latest reports from the school were all positive. His grades and his social interactions were both improving. He only had a few sessions left before the mandatory visit rule no longer applied. And once it did, he had no doubt that Shoto's father would never let him step foot in his office again.

The pressure to keep it a secret was a struggle in itself. The more Shoto shared about his past and his father, the more Midoriya's anger grew. This wasn't supposed to be the way a therapist reacted to a case. They were supposed to be impartial, yet his hatred for the second-ranked hero only grew with each disgusting detail his son revealed.

"How does he treat your other siblings?" Midoriya had asked during their recent meeting.

"As far as he's concerned, Fuyumi and Natsuo don't exist. As soon as they didn't manifest the ability he wanted, he ignored them. Once he got the results he was looking for with my quirk, he focused his attention on me. If anything, they're fortunate to avoid his attention. I'd never wish this on them or anyone else. I'm sure my oldest brother Touya felt the same way before he left, though I barely remember him."

"I'm sorry, did you say _Touya_?"

Shoto had an air of suspicion in his reply, "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I thought I had misheard you, that's all." Midoriya had said, although internally he was screaming as he realized just who Shoto was related to.

* * *

Midoriya visited the bar after work more often after learning the truth about Shoto's home life. It wasn't unusual for him to stop in and have a drink while he was in college, especially after a particularly difficult case or class. Now he sat there, just over the edge of inebriated with one elbow propped up to support his face, thinking about whether he should dare to call _that_ person.

The whiskey made the choice for him, and after a short relay of messages, a tall, slim man with a medical mask found his way over to Midoriya's corner of the bar.

"You've got a lot of nerve to get in touch with me, Midoriya. Didn't you learn your lesson about how to treat your elders back in high school?"

Midoriya looked up, noting the spiked up black hair where he'd last seen red. The cold, ice blue eyes pierced through him just as they did seven years ago during his first year at UA.

"I need your help, Touya. And don't bring up UA. You at least owe me the chance to speak after all you put me through."

"Aww c'mon, don't be like that. The other upperclassmen had far worse plans for you than the pranks I pulled. And don't call me by that name, it's Dabi now. Touya has been dead for years."

Midoriya shrugged, "I didn't call you here to talk about the past anyway. It's about your little brother's future."

At the mention of his brother, Dabi's arrogant smirk turned into a frown. "What about him? I know he's been going to your office lately. He tell you about our happy little family? Even though I took off, I keep an eye on him. You tell him that you and his big brother were buddies back in high school?"

"Hell no. He doesn't need to know about that part of my past. I wasn't even aware that he was related to you until he mentioned his oldest brother leaving home. Now all the cruel things you did to me back then make sense, considering the way you were being treated at home."

"Look asshole, I don't need you trying to pull your shrink shit on me. Like you said, we're not here to talk about the past. So what is it about Shoto that's got you worked up enough to call me?"

Midoriya poured himself more of the whiskey, then signaled for the bartender to bring over another glass. Pouring Dabi a shot, he explained his predicament without getting into too much detail on Shoto's more personal confessions. He knew this was a total break in patient confidentiality, but he was at his wit's end on finding a solution that would make everyone happy.

"I don't know how to fix this, Tou— Dabi. If I report Enji, Shoto will lose trust in me. Hell, doing so doesn't even sound like it would protect him. But if I do nothing…"

Dabi poured himself another drink, sliding his mask down long enough to swallow it with a sharp hiss before replying.

"Then do _something_. Don't think I'm not aware of how ruthless you can be. I still remember the time you stood up to me before I left UA. You get riled up enough by something and you're one dangerous bastard."

Midoriya sipped his drink and laughed. "You locked up every towel and piece of clothing in the locker room while I was showering. What was I supposed to do?"

"I dunno, but fighting me bare-ass naked was the last thing I was expecting of you. And that's what you need in this situation. Do the unexpected."

"What do you mean?"

"There's only one way to stop that bastard from hurting anyone else. You gotta kill him."

Midoriya nearly dropped the bottle he was pouring, "Are you serious? Holy shit, you are serious! Dabi, does it look like I'm capable of doing something like that?!"

"Of course not, which is why you'll actually get away with it. You pull it off and no one will ever think to suspect the Hero Therapist."

Midoriya thought about it. Shoto himself admitted that past attempts at turning Enji in had failed. The man obviously had no intention or desire to change his behavior. Despite all his heroic accolades, Enji Todoroki was just as terrible as a villain. He couldn't stand the thought of seeing Shoto walk into his office injured by that man's hand again.

"Tell me more," Midoriya said as he finished his glass.

"You're serious about going through with that? I have to say I'm impressed. So here's what you'll want to focus on if you're going to commit to this…"

* * *

The original bottle had long been drained and a second had taken its place as Dabi finished relaying his advice on how best to take care of Enji. Pushing his glass away, Midoriya knew it was time for him to leave. As he threw his money down on the counter and stood up to collect his coat, he eyed Dabi, who had grown quiet as he nursed his glass.

"If you had all these plans worked out already, why haven't you tried to kill him?"

Staring into the amber liquid, he was hesitant to answer at first. "Taking him out is a job for a hero, and I lost the right to that title years ago. Make no mistakes though, if you're caught, the world will see you as a hero killer, a villain. But you'll also have a select handful that will be set free of his tyranny and call you a hero, even if they can't say it out loud. You're gonna have to live with that fact."

Midoriya slid into his coat, "I can live with that just fine. I'd do anything to keep that boy from being harmed again. I appreciate your advice, Dabi."

"Like you said, I owed you. That's all this has to be, is repaying a debt."

* * *

**AN: Sorry for such a long wait between updates, I've had a lot of other writing projects going on and this sadly got pushed to the side. But I've had a lot of good ideas on where to take the story from here, so hopefully, I'll get back to making regular chapter updates. Hope you are enjoying the story so far, thanks for the favorites and comments, they always mean the world to me! See you in the next chapter, where we see if Midoriya really is capable of carrying out Dabi's plans!**


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